Rating: ★★★★☆
The English Touring Opera returned to Sheffield on October 9th with a spectacularly performed double bill opera Ariadne | Dido and Aeneas on. These notable figures from Greek and Roman mythology feature in two short operas, both written and performed in English with English subtitles.
Ariadne by Gluck retells the myth of Ariadne, daughter of King Minos, who aids the prince Theseus to slaughter the minotaur, a terrifying monster, and escape Crete alive. In a cruel twist of events Theseus secretly slips away, deserting Ariadne.
A single act drama, this performance opens with Ariadne (played by Jessica Cale) peacefully sleeping while Theseus (played by Kieron-Connor Valentine) silently leaves her side. White-washed panels hung in the background whilst centre stage a lone bed stood on a round podium. The set expertly expresses Ariadne’s isolation when she awakes alone, realising she has been deserted by her lover.
Jessica Cale delivered a spectacular operatic lament, her voice and facial expressions revealing Ariadne’s utter despair and growing despondency. The symbolism of colour was poignant and expertly enhanced the emotions of the performance particularly through the red ball of string Ariadne grips throughout. The red string seemed to emanate love as well as the fragility of the heart as it became tugged and unravelled by Ariadne during her performance. Whilst this symbolised Ariadne’s heartbreak, the red colour also began to foreshadow a darker fate for her. In the Greek myth, Ariadne gives Theseus a ball of string so that he can enter the labyrinth and escape the same way after slaughtering the minotaur. Using the string in this performance brings on a new meaning for Ariadne as instead of a tool for escape, it represents her abandoned heart.
Despite the striking vocal performance, I found the lament slightly repetitious and the set design a bit simplistic. But overall, it was a haunting performance of woe, especially as the orchestra ensemble sat behind Ariadne on stage, instrumentally echoing her vocal despair.
The second opera to take to the stage was Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. One of the earliest operas written in England, it depicts the building tension and passion between Dido and Aeneas. Both of them have suffered through different hardships but fortuitously meet and find themselves drawn to the other. However, supernatural forces plot to break Dido and Aeneas apart.
Towering shiny black rocks positioned in between tall white semi-transparent screens created a severe and dramatic backdrop to the stage. The set transported the audience to a harsh environment that provided neither warmth nor certainty to Dido and Aeneas’s blooming love. The dramatic passion between Dido and Aeneas instead stemmed from their vocal prowess. Dido (played by Samantha Price) was elegantly regal, her powerful voice showing her status while her facial expressions reveal her fear in beginning a relationship with Aeneas. On the other hand, Aeneas (played by Micheal Lafferty) displayed an unwavering dedication to win over Dido, and their operatic duets heightened the intensity of their emotions.
What surprised me the most about this opera is how captivated I was by the ensemble characters. The production became extremely lively and entertaining as the ensemble deftly moved across the stage in engrossing coordinated sequences, creating comedic moments and enhancing the dramatic tension between Dido and Aeneas.
The ensemble wore differing versions of what appeared most like a smart grey school uniform. This costume enabled them to appear serious and intimidating but also meant they could smoothly switch to boisterous and spirited characters through their body language and movement. Their shorts and skirts differed in length, enabling their ease to dance and move about the stage. The creative choice for some of the male ensemble to wear long skirts also helped create a more androgynous and unison look for the ensemble who always appeared together on stage.
Overall, English Touring Opera’s double bill opera was very entertaining to someone new to opera. The actors’ phenomenal singing coupled with the ensemble’s spiritedly coordinated sequences made it an impressive and memorable experience.
Image Credits: Sheffield Theatres
